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Issue Date: September 10, 2006
Born on 9/11: Life at five
In 2001, USA WEEKEND introduced six babies, symbols of hope born on that dark day. Today, we catch up with them as they turn 5.
By Ken Burns
Sept. 11, 2001, is forever etched in our national consciousness, like Dec. 7, 1941 -- Pearl Harbor. We will be unable to associate that day with anything else but the dark tragedy that overtook us.
But for some families, that morning's horrors were countered by near inexpressible joy. For on that day, they experienced life's most precious gift: the birth of a child, a glimmer of hope and resurrection while the rest of us were confronting our own obvious mortality.
This hope has endured throughout this nation's time. "At what point shall we expect the approach of danger?" a young lawyer from Springfield, Ill., named Abraham Lincoln asked in 1838, years before he would be forced to preside over the greatest cataclysm to befall our country, the Civil War. Lincoln answered his own question: "Never." He knew that if America were to be destroyed, it would happen from within -- not by an outside enemy. Despite the foreboding prescience in his stunning words, Lincoln also was expressing a fundamental American optimism that acknowledges the geographical force field two oceans have provided for us since the British burned the White House in the War of 1812.
Five years ago Monday ruptured that sense of invincibility. As we struggle to redefine ourselves in the wake of that rupture, it is interesting to note that we still cohere as one people. We take comfort in the natural rhythms of democratic life -- the anthems, parades and anniversaries that define us. And being a confident people, as Lincoln felt in his bones, we look to the future, always searching the horizon for the safety that sometimes eludes the present.
In 2001, USA WEEKEND photographed six children, all born on Sept. 11 of that year. As these children reach their 5th birthdays, we find in their life stories, in the trajectory of their possibilities, a sense of ourselves, both in an ordinary knee-scraping, loose-tooth, first-day-of-kindergarten kind of way, but also in an extraordinary, deeply felt appreciation of life itself, offering us all what Abraham Lincoln would and did call "a new birth of freedom."
And like any kids, these children are embracing all that our pop culture has to offer, from NASCAR to the Disney Channel. At the same time, they convey a heartfelt sense of empathy toward loved ones and fellow community members. They know that the real heroes today are the firefighters and police officers and soldiers who are protecting us every day. Read on and find out more about the young lives of these six members of Generation 9/11.
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USA WEEKEND Dec. 28-30, 2001
Five years ago, we introduced you to six thriving, diaper-clad babies, all born on that unforgettable day of Sept. 11, 2001. On these pages, we catch up with our small clan. The original story and photos. (Clockwise from bottom left: Kaitlyn Nguyen, William Wombles, Anne-Sophie Labossiere, Charlotte McDermott, Anastasya Cermak and Jack Corrales.)
Charlotte Emily McDermott
Parent: Monica Clay of Lansdowne, Pa.
Charlotte is the youngest of nine. One of her brothers is autistic, and Charlotte looks out for him. This has helped her develop a special empathy for others. She keeps photos of herself and the other USA WEEKEND 9/11 babies and knows that something bad happened on that day. But she is comforted that babies were born that day, as well. "We have a refrigerator magnet that says, 'Just when you think we'll never smile again, life comes back,' " her mom says. It depicts a girl who looks like Charlotte, smiling, in the rain.
John "Jack" Victor Corrales
Parents: Cathy and Joe Corrales of Dallas
A close family friend fights fires, and Jack has been a constant visitor at the firehouse, sitting in the station's fire truck and blaring the siren. His parents understand the irony -- how so many firefighters were so brave on the day Jack was born. But the couple has not told Jack about the terrible events of Sept. 11 or the sacrifice so many made. "But he does understand good from bad and that his friends at the firehouse are definitely doing a lot of good things every day," Cathy says.
William "Rhett" Wombles
Parents: Denise and Shawn Wombles of Wrightsville, Ga.
Because his dad has racing ties,Rhett is friends with NASCAR champ Tony Stewart's pit crew. When crew member Brian "Shaggy" Larson, who catches the gas can, waves to the camera, it's for Rhett. The boy's other hero is cousin Nicholas Bruce Ivey, of Kite, Ga., a Marine who served in Iraq. Rhett asks why his cousin went there. "We say he protected freedom sothe kids there can play with their mommies and daddies without fear, just like he does," dad Shawn says.
Anne-Sophie Labossiere
Parents: Florence and Reginald Labossiere of New York City
The Labossieres came here from Haiti because they believed that the United States offered more hope andopportunity than their homeland -- an optimism the attacks didn't diminish. Anne-Sophie is starting to demonstrate that spirit, as well. She has gone with her parents to Ground Zero twice now. "She asks about what happened," Florence says, "and we tell her. One day, she will understand how so many people living here worked so hard to bring this city back."
Anastasya "Anya" Mikal Cermak
Parent: Michelle Cermakof Avondale, Ariz.
A Queens native, mom Michelle has taken Anya to Ground Zero several times. "I say to her, 'Something bad happened here,' " Michelle says. " 'People were really sad. But then you were born, and you made people happy again.' " Anya is learning about compassion, too. The two go through Anya's closets to gather shoes, dresses and other goods for the needy. "She understands that people don't have everything she has," Michelle says. "She gets excited about helping them. She runs to me all the time and says, 'Can we go through my closet again?' "
Kaitlyn Cat-Linh Nguyen
Parents: Vivian and Anthony Nguyen of Anaheim, Calif.
Kaitlyn loves animals. She draws dogs all the time and shows them to her parents, asking for a real one at home. For now, that will have to wait. Like many SoCal kids, Kaitlyn is getting hip to pop culture. "We were in the car listening to the Disney Channel on satellite radio when a Hilary Duff song came on," Anthony recalls. "She sang out loud, not missing any of the words!" As for an awareness of what happened on her birthday? That will have to wait, too. "We tried to tell her," Vivian says. "But she doesn't understand."
-- Profiles by Dennis McCafferty
Photographs by Charles Ledford for USA WEEKEND
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